UnitedHealth Group IncorporatedCMS preliminary 2027 Medicare rate of 0.1% (later 2.5%) below expectations and cost inflation, plus membership losses and competition at Optum

Sustainable Growth Advisers’ Global Growth Strategy sold its entire position in UnitedHealth Group during the first quarter of 2026. The firm cited the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ preliminary 2027 rate of just 0.1%, later revised to 2.5% but still below mid-single-digit expectations and cost inflation trends. Greater-than-expected membership losses and slower profitability improvement at Optum also signaled a more mature Medicare Advantage market and increased competition. The stock had suffered in 2025 from execution missteps and government payment cuts, and the firm had held on expecting a re-pricing of policies and a beneficial change in administration. The SGA Global Growth Portfolio returned -13.6% gross and -13.8% net for the quarter, compared to -3.2% for the MSCI ACWI.
UnitedHealth Group IncorporatedCMS preliminary 2027 Medicare rate of 0.1% (later 2.5%) below expectations and cost inflation, plus membership losses and competition at Optum
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